New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-08
CAR NETTING.

1t is evident that the problem Of safe Car
heating will have TO be solved without further
delay by the railroad companies. Public opn-
ion will not tolerate any further horrors Of the
Woodstock Bridge and Republic kind, and the
Legislatures Of many States will undoubtedly
proceed at once to draft stringent laws upon the
sobjcct At Albany. for instance, las;
night the Railroad Commissioners were
called upon for suggestions on the
subject. The corporations have been consider
ing the question of and on for many years
now but most of them have allowed themselves
TO be rebuffed by difficulties which, though not
trifing, are ms nothing when the importance of
the interests at stake is considered. Mr.
Chauncey NJ. Dcpew has stated the most scri-
Gus obstacles TO be overcome, but he has not
referred TO the fact that some railroads have
already adopted one or another OF the many
inventions for securing safety to the passenger
and that several such inventions are to-day in
OPERATION, and apparently answer the purpose
fully. At the January meeting Of the New
England Rail- Dad Club many prominent rail-
read managers and half dozen or more in
ventors discussed The question Of car-hcaiing
and while there was no agreement upon any
method as the best, the talk incidentally threw
some light on the subject.
Thus it was demonstrated that the difficulties
in the way Of heating cars with steam from the
engine are by no means so formidable as repre-
scntcd. One plan Of this kind has been in use
fer five wears on tho Connecticut River Rail
road. There is small boiler under each car
which is filled with the drip from the engine.
This boiler can be fired up when or if the en-
CINE Is detac he'd from the train. At Holy Oke
the company has pipes arranged so that the
ears can he heated from a stationary boiler.
Another stean,-hcating invention is in use Oh
the Boston and Albany Railroad, and its in
venlor mt tho meeting in question stated that
the objection that steap taken from the en-
eine would cripple it has been proved. Oh the
l:oston and Albany Railroad. to he entirely
baseless." He contended further that the
economy and safety TO be obtained in heating
from the engine are sufficient to lead every
railroad to change lis methods Of operating
It's passenger service" During the discussion
other plans were advocated, such as heating
with hot water and with hot air. Both OF these
however, required the use Of fires either in
On under the cars, and while the last named
disposition of the stove may diminish the dan
gei III case OF accident, 1t does not remove it,
1t appears that the Reading Railroad has for
several years been heating many OF its cars
with heaters outside the cars, but one member
OF the club stated that Two cars had re-
Gently been burned ty these outside heaters,
and the fact. if it is fact rather discredits the
method and certainly shows that it is not the
one the pubhc ale looking for.
Any method which demands the employment
Of fire either in or near a passenger car will
probably have to lie ruled out Putting the
heater under the car cannot obyiate the danger
of cOallaSraton in an accident whereby all the